An alliance of opposition party leaders and legislators expressed their approval of the Council of Grand Justices' decision regarding the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant yesterday and urged the government both to take responsibility for its decision to scrap the plant and also to announce immediately a restart to the plant's construction.
"Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) was rash in making his policy, which has already brought about Taiwan's economic recession, a waste of the government's budget, and has even damaged Taiwan's reputation," PFP Secretary-general Chung Jung-chi (鍾榮吉) said.
"We appeal to Premier Chang to take both political and legal responsibility for his rash policymaking," Chung said.
PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
New Party Secretary-General Lee Ping-nan (
Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Wang said the Executive Yuan is obliged to deliver a report to the Legislative Yuan on a change in any major national policies according to the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan's Exercise of Power (立法院職權行使法), and such a report is a necessary procedure prior to a resolution by the legislature.
The power plant project, as the grand justices have indicated, is a major national policy, Wang added. "Before the legislature makes a resolution, [the Executive Yuan] cannot enforce an arbitrary order to stop the construction."
DPP lawmakers, however, argued that the government is not obliged to comply with the legislature's resolution even after delivering the report, because the Council of Grand Justices had not said so.
"The ruling and opposition parties should start a negotiation immediately to seek a resolution to their differences," said Chou Po-lun (
The Presidential Office reaffirmed President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) support for Premier Chang, saying it is not necessary to reshuffle the Cabinet.
"The interpretation has successfully established a good constitutional example for the future. We believe that the Executive Yuan and Legislative Yuan will be able to act responsibly in accordance with the principles of democratic and constitutional politics," said Secretary-General to the President Yu Shih-kun in a statement last night.
The Executive Yuan expressed approval of the ruling, saying the council had found that the Cabinet's actions were neither unconstitutional nor in violation of any law.
"Premier Chang gladly accepts the interpretation and will be willing to make a report at the Legislative Yuan," said Vice Premier Lai In-jaw (
Lai refused to comment, however, on questions of whether the premier should resign in the wake of the ruling by the council.
"If the Legislative Yuan still votes down the Cabinet's decision to scrap the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in the future, the grand justices have suggested three possible directions in their interpretation," Lai said.
"One is that the ruling party can negotiate with opposition parties to find a means to solve their disputes. We would adopt this suggestion if necessary," Lai added.
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